TEN | Doubles duo of Jones, Spicer drive Orange to crucial win

By: Jeff Westfall

Posted: 3/31/08

A triumphant scream rose above the Drumlins Tennis Center on Saturday. In unison, the eyes of the standing-room-only crowd darted toward the far court in time to see Ashley Spicer celebrate going up 7-4 in her and Chelsea Jones' doubles match against visiting St. John's.

With a yell and a fist-pump she ripped a ball from her pocket and bounced it violently toward the tarp walls of Drumlins.

The Orange (9-11, 6-4) captured its third straight victory Saturday in a 4-3 win over the Red Storm (3-10, 1-3). Behind the tandem of Spicer and Jones, Syracuse continued its late-season push to get into the Big East tournament.

"They are a complete two lightning bolts that go out there and play with a lot of positive energy and have a lot of explosive power," SU head coach Luke Jensen said. "They play our style, which is an aggressive net style. I love that about them."

Spicer and Jones accounted for three of the four points that SU earned in Saturday's victory, including a hard-fought doubles match that swung the doubles point in SU's favor. After jumping out to an early 6-1 lead over the visiting duo of Gabi Gasiunaite and Emily Barnett, Spicer and Jones surrendered three consecutive games to the Red Storm.

With the doubles point hinging upon the outcome of their match, Spicer and Jones fought back and put an exclamation point on the pivotal game as an emphatic spike by Spicer dropped into the corner of the Red Storm's court.

"We were up 6-1, and we let them back into it, obviously being up 7-4 vs. 6-5 is a huge difference," Spicer said. "It was definitely important for us to shift the momentum and keep up intensity."

The momentum from that doubles win would resonate with Spicer and Jones as they ventured into their own respective singles matches. Spicer made quick work of her opponent, Gasiunaite, in straight sets (6-1, 6-1). Sporting a compression sleeve to help nurse a sore right elbow, Spicer tallied her fourth consecutive singles victory. Both Spicer and Jensen attributed her win in large part to her improved serve.

"I like her pace," Jensen said. "I think the velocity on both her first and second serves has picked up, I think she is hitting more than 100 mph with her first, which is better than the tour average on the WTA tour."

Jones, Spicer's collaborator in the doubles match, also carried her team's success into her singles match. Jones won her singles match in the five spot for the Orange (6-1, 6-4) over the Red Storm's Ashley Harper.

On the same court where nearly a week prior Jones lost the decisive match of a 4-3 Orange loss to Pittsburgh, the match again rested upon her shoulders. With her teammates Christina Tan and Maria Vasilyeva beginning to falter and the Orange in need of one more win to secure the match, Jones made sure that history would not repeat itself.

"I think today was a huge jump forward considering what happened against Pittsburgh," Jensen said. "We were in the same scenario today; if we don't win with Jones we lose at the one and three positions and lose the match. Her match was the match for us."

Jones said her and Spicer's doubles victory acted as a tone-setter propelling her singles play. That spark allowed Jones to have better location on her shots and be more consistent on the court.

"I did really well getting the ball in play today," Jones said. "Like (SU assistant coach Shelley) George said, great shots don't win tennis, consistency does."

Spicer and Jones' efforts helped to Orange add to its momentum heading into the final week of the regular season. Later this week, Syracuse will face Rutgers and Big East powerhouse Notre Dame as it concludes the final week of the regular season. Jensen said Jones and Spicer's doubles tandem may be peaking just at the right time.

"I think they are better with their serve and volley game than they have been all season long," Jensen said. "They are more confident with it and are moving well together as a team, doubles is a team game, and you have to be one with your partner to do well."

jwestfal@syr.edu